Children Lost
by Pazas
Summary: An add on to the orignal story. Given enough time I could write an entire season. E-mail me comments and requests though.
1. Lost Children

Children Lost  
Pazas  
  
Please send comments or requests for further episodes to pazas@hotmail.com   
The Lost Children   
  
  
One thing drives me nuts more than anything, the recognition always goes to the one with the flashy job. In all those team games, every single one, its seems like the person who puts it in the goal gets the glory. In soccer no one gives credit to the person who passes the ball for the amazing header for the score, in basketball the person who throws the ally-op never looks as good as the person who slams it down. In football the quarterbacks, receivers and running backs seem magical on the field at times.  
  
They are untouchable, but only because someone is blocking for them. Seriously who can name a professional linemen? Who knows who has the most assists in Basketball and Soccer? Well that's what I feel like, the unrecognized linemen, the assist man, the 9th player. Of course should be going for fame? I don't even know if I want the glory anymore...   
  
Let me start from the beginning. My parents sent my sister and me to this camp. I love my friend and my sister. I get along with her really well and all but I would have rather stayed home.  
  
Home is where I feel my best. Don't get me wrong I'm not anti-social, but it's where I feel comfortable. If my friends and I are hanging out we hang out at my house. It's the place to be. Mom and Dad thought it would be good for me to go to this, to get out of the house. Little did they know what a disaster it would turn out to be... A sudden stream of blizzards sent our camp into disarray.   
  
The camp counselors were getting really worried. Seven of the campers turned up missing. Search parties went out for T.K., Matt, Sora, Joe, Mimi, Tai and Izzy. I sort of knew them, but not really. When Tai hadn't been playing jokes on us, he had been up in trees hanging out, so I figured they would probably find him freezing up in some branches. Izzy barely saw the sun for the front part of the week. Izzy was probably so busy talking to his expert computer friends half away across the world that he didn't even notice something was happening. I haven't figured out how Mimi could possibly be missing. She was comparing outfits with Terri and Michelle all week. How can someone in all pink disappear?  
  
If we are going to find TK we will find Matt right with him. Matt has been guarding TK's every move the entire week. It's hard to do while trying to maintain a cool stone cold appearance. I bet TK felt like a nuisance. It is really sad, brothers that can't even say they love each other. TK spent most of his time trying to prove his independence to Matt by doing all sorts of things, jumping off rocks, climbing trees, trying to catch spiders and things. This didn't help Matt in his efforts to protect TK. With TK around Matt seemed to be on edge constantly. Speaking of needing to chill out, Joe would never be caught out in a storm, he is practically scared of his own shadow. He did go off on those long walks of his though... Maybe he didn't make it back from one in time...As for Sora...   
  
Sora is Sora, helping out where she can and playing any game she can with the others. She has to be the most competitive person I know. I played Tennis with her sometimes over the summer when she wasn't practicing for soccer. I think I beat her a little too often. By the end of most days her hair would be as red as her face and she would throw her racket down and storm off the court. Somehow I knew Sora would be just fine.   
  
Then it comes to Leala and I; we got caught in one of the storms. We found some empty cabins, so we camped out there for awhile until the storm let up…  
  
  
As Freeman peered out the window, his eyes squinted. A thick build of ice had formed during the snowstorm. As the window cleared he opened his light brown eyes wider to get a full view. The ground outside the cabin was covered in deep thick fresh snow. The trees dripped off half melted snow as the wind blew. Freeman turned his head sideways to talk to Leala with his gaze still fixed on the trees outside.   
  
"It looks like the storm has started to calm down.", Freeman mentioned in an offhand manner. He turned his gaze to the floor.   
"It is about time! I'm freezing." Leala responded emphatically.   
  
Leala shivered and rubbed her arms as she sat on one of the cold hard camp bunk beds. During the frosty weather the only thing she had to wear was a white short sleeve T-shirt with some blue overalls. Her shoes were soaking wet from the melted snow. During the initial storm, Freeman and Leala had to tread straight through mounds of snow to reach this abandoned cabin. Somehow Freeman didn't notice the extreme temperatures along the way. He was just as exposed to the elements as Leala wearing only a blue T-shirt and some khaki shorts. His light brown hair was still extremely wet making it separate as though it had been freshly washed. Freeman turned from the window and gave a sigh.   
  
" I wonder if anyone will find us out here?" Freeman said with a note of hopelessness.  
  
"Someone will come." Leala remarked.   
  
She didn't seem all too confident about her statement, but she had always taken the attitude that things work out in the end. Slowly, Leala slide down the wall she was leaning against to rest in a sitting position.   
  
"What if no one does come." She thought.   
  
Without any warning, a soft knocking panged on the door. Leala stood up instantly with a spark of curiosity and joy.   
  
"I wonder who that is?" Leala said with a confused look.  
  
Her joy slowly sifted away. No one from camp could have gotten to the cabin so quickly unless they went through the storm, and even if they did how could have they known that Leala and Freeman had taken refuge here?   
As she was walking to the door, she held her head sideways in puzzlement. As she opened the door the soft shift of snow made a hiss against the paved doorstep. Leala popped her head out into the cold and looked both ways.   
  
" Hm, no one there, must be Tai playing another joke again..."  
  
Just as she was headed back indoors, Leala looked down to see three notes and a whistle laying a few feet in front of her. The whistle glimmered brightly and held the three yellow notes down in the face of the gentle breeze. The paper was oddly fresh and dry for setting in the snow.   
" What is this? "   
  
Leala picked up the three notes and pocketed the whistle as she headed back inside. An odd instinct told her to read the back note first. She pulled it out and skimmed over the contents of the letter.   
" Hm, looks like we are going home once they find some missing campers for sure" Leala announced aloud to Freeman.   
"I guess this means the Canoe races are canceled. Man, I had it in the bag too. Oh well home is better then some dumb   
Camp anyhow."   
  
The Canoe races would have been fun, but Freeman had been thinking about going home the entire week. He tried to hide his misery by practicing for the Canoe races. Freeman thought if he came back with the race trophy his parents would be so proud they would never send him away again. Leala discarded the first note and began to read the second.   
  
"Hey Freeman looks like we are going out for a walk. Mr. Fugiyama asked us to search for Tai and others around our area. They must have the whole camp looking for them. Their cabin is around here somewhere isn't it?"  
  
"This is probably their cabin." Freeman thought to himself.  
  
In all honesty Freeman had no idea what the guys cabin looked like. For the most part he kept to himself. Every once in awhile TK would run up and talk to him. Freeman mostly brushed him off to the anger of Matt.  
  
" They will show up " Freeman mumbled to himself.   
  
Unconcerned Freeman turned, facing Leala.   
  
"Hm, sending us to find some missing campers is pretty dumb if you ask me. We might get lost ourselves."  
"Well, none the less he sent the note. As soon as we find them we are headed back home." Leala said holding up the note.   
"This is great. " Freeman thought to himself.   
" If we find the missing campers we can go home."   
  
With a smile Freeman hopped up Freeman headed out the door as Leala began to read the final note.  
  
"Wake the warrior, fend off the darkness, in the heights above and depths below, signal danger diminished."  
"What the heck is that suppose to mean?"  
" Hm I guess we are suppose to sound the whistle when we find the missing campers."   
  
Leala stood a second staring at the final note. It wasn't like the other notes. It almost had a gram cracker texture. It was more like a tablet than a piece of paper.  
  
" Come on Leala lets go."  
  
Freeman had waited too long to go home. He just wanted to find the campers and go. Why was Leala staring at some dumb old note anyway?   
  
" Just hold on. Patience is a virtue."  
Freeman let out a grunt of aggravation. Leala always spit that saying in his face. His mother said it all the time, when Leala said it… It was like she was trying hold something over him. With a few words he was childish and she seemed so mature.   
"Ok lets go"   
Across the sky multicolored streams of light danced in waves that almost seem to touch the ground.  
" Wow that's beautiful " Freeman exclaimed in wonderment.   
" Ill say. I've never seen anything like it"   
" I wonder if it has something to do with the weird weather? Maybe a power plant blew up or something and messed up the jet stream or something."   
"Yea that's it" Leala said with a roll of the eyes.   
  
The two continued uphill. Freeman eyes remain focused on the sky as Leala scanned the surrounding environment. A black object in the snow peaked up and caught Leala's eye.   
" What's that over there! Maybe it's something one of the missing campers dropped. "  
Both of them rush up to examine it. Freeman filled with hope as going home was a step closer. As he gained some distance on the object his shoulders slumped in disappointment. "It's just a pinecone. "  
Freeman picked the pinecone up and tossed it behind his back. There was nothing but white around them. He was sure there were lost themselves.   
"Look underneath, there are some stairs. They must lead to their Cabin! Let's go!"  
"What luck!" Freeman thought to himself, " we will find them in the cabin and be out of here in no time."  
Freeman and Leala head up the snow-covered stairs.   
" I wonder why Sora and the others would ever run off. Maybe they got caught in the storm." Leala puzzled.   
  
Freeman's thoughts turned to guilt. The possibility that the others were in some real danger began to dawn on him. All he had done the entire trip was keep them at a distance.   
  
" I'm worried about them. We were really starting to make deeper friendships you know? I mean we have known each other for such a long time, but we have always been more acquaintances than friends."  
  
"If they were here would anything be different?"  
  
Freeman began to question himself, "Would I try to be their friends?"  
He had known all of them at a distance most of his life. Sure he would play soccer with them and goof around, but they weren't really close to him. Freeman played two roles, the alone role and the social role.   
  
"Could I show them the real me and trust them to still like me?"   
  
"Yea I'm worried about them too. I don't know what your talking about with deeper friendships though... All Tai has done is play jokes on the rest of us. I don't even think I know any of the others names. Well except Sora, she was on  
my soccer team."   
  
That's right he is just a prankster, he wouldn't care, none of them would  
  
Freeman looked down at the ground as he continued up the stairs. Leala's gaze moved towards the sky and the waves of light again.   
  
"Hm I hope Sora is all right"   
  
Sora seemed so responsible to Leala. Leala tried to be with her as much as possible during the camp. Ever since she met Sora she felt that she had a connection. Most of the time Sora didn't really mind Leala. Whenever there was a soccer game Sora and Leala played on the same team. They had a system, a unified mind. It was like at all times they knew the location of each other instinctively. This set up some spectacular goals. They even got one past Tai during the camp soccer game.   
As Leala and Freeman trudged through the snow they barely noticed the sky dimming into an unduly black. The light on the ground did not decrease as the waves in the sky grew more intense. Freeman began to rub his arms in reaction to the cold around him.   
  
This better not be another one of Tai's jokes.  
"Hey Freeman, take a look over here!"  
  
Leala moves through some snow covered brush. Freeman approaches unimpressed.   
  
" What is it now? Another pinecone?"  
"Hey, the pinecone found us the stairs didn't it? Look it's their cabin."  
"Cabin?"  
"The missing campers cabin."  
"I thought we were in their cabin?"  
"I'm sure this is theirs."  
Both approach the cabin and walk to the door. Not even their footsteps make a noise. The door sways slightly in the wind.  
"Wow this is creepy. It's so silent. "  
As Freeman opens the door he covers his eyes to filter out the bright the light.   
  
"Man, the light is still on. What a waste, power has been unstable as it is with all the power outages in town......."  
  
Freeman could still remember not being able to watch TV because of the lack of power. Brown outs and black outs plagued the city. The power companies were baffled, they simply couldn't find a reason for the power loss. At times the power would come back on as quickly as it left.   
  
Freeman circled around taking in a view of the room as Leala searched around the beds.   
" Hey look at this it's the guy's stuff. "  
"How do you know it's the guy's and not the girl's? "  
"Junk food, a yo-yo, yea it's the guy's stuff."   
  
Freeman points to four pink bags stuffed full in the corner of the room.  
  
"That must be Mimi's bags over there."  
Mimi had brought so much luggage that some needed to be placed in overflow rooms. Joe volunteered to help carry the bags where they needed to go and he ended up losing half his room space packing in her bags. It was no sacrifice for him though. With the extra bags there Mimi had to visit often to pick up outfits. Joe didn't seem to mind this at all.   
  
"They must have been kidnapped or something. Why would they leave so much junk food behind? They would never do such a thing."  
"Oh well, their loss!"  
  
Freeman begins stuffing his pockets with the food periodically stuffing his face.   
"Hey, stop that!"  
"Stop what???"   
Licorice hangs from his mouth.  
"You don't even know if they are going to be back yet."  
"So what?"  
"Just put it back!"  
"You want it back? Blah"  
Freeman stuck out his mouth revealing partially chewed licorice.  
"Ew, Freeman that's gross, you're so immature. Just put it back."  
"Why? They certainly aren't using it."  
Leala reached for the junk food in Freeman's hands. Freeman pulled back and turns his back to her. She jumps on his back. They both stumble back onto the floor. The two wrestle over a kit-kat bar. Freeman tosses the kit-kat aside and grabs a long red licorice chain. Leala grabs one end in efforts of taking it from him. The two stumble outside.  
"Freeman, give me that."  
"Well if you really want it."  
Freeman released the Licorice causing Leala to fall back into the snow. White powder went everywhere. Leala looked up behind Freeman with a surprised expression as Licorice dangled from her hair. Two lights flashed in the distance. The waves in the sky began to waver in a different pattern.   
"Hey what's that?"   
Leala pointed to the lights in the sky. They both stood up looking into the light. Freeman saw no difference having missed the flashes. Leala dawned on a look of confusion and curiosity. Her forehead scrunched.   
" That's weird. Maybe that has to do with the disappearance of the others. Maybe some aliens abducted them or something."  
"Yea right aliens! Hahaha!"  
"What happens if we can't find them?"  
  
Freeman waves his arms wildly in the air.  
  
"Then we will just have to build a spaceship and go to Mars so we can ask for them back."  
"Stop it Freeman I'm serious."  
"Lighten up."  
  
Freeman folds his arms and watches her walk by him as she looks more intently at the patterns in the sky. Freeman sneaks up behind Leala and shakes her a bit.   
"BOO! HAHAHAHAHA"  
  
Leala jumps in the air. She hated being surprised.   
  
"That's not funny!"  
"It is to me!"  
Suddenly a breeze starts up. Another flash beams across the sky, one so large both couldn't possibly miss it. The colored waves in the sky wavier once more and begin to swirl around a fixed point.   
"Stop it Freeman, I don't know how your doing this but cut it out."  
"Whoa, what's going on? Look up there!"  
A large beam of light funnels downs from the point and engulfs both the children. Two objects fall from the sky and head directly for Freeman and Leala.   
"Ah! Look out!"  
  
Freeman thinks of jumping to push Leala out of the way, but there is no time, the objects are upon them too quickly. Freeman and Leala cover their faces expecting the objects to hit them head on. After a few seconds with no impact Freeman and  
Leala look up. The two objects have halted directly in front of them red with heat.   
"See I told you... aliens"  
The light and heat around the objects subsides to reveal devices that look like stop watches. Both reach out to the devices curiously. Freeman reaches his hand up slowly.   
He points at one and comments, "I wonder if they are still hot?"   
Leala joins Freeman and begins to reach to the device instinctually.   
  
As Freeman's hand brushes the device it lurches into his palm and causes him to grip around it. The same happens to Leala.   
A slight clicking sound echoes out.   
"Ohhh, Whoa!!!"  
Freeman looks at the face of the device, "Hmm"  
A wall of water appears in front of the two. Freeman turns to run grabbing Leala's arm, but as he turns another wall of water forms trapping them.  
"What's going on Freeman?"  
"I don't know but hang on!"  
The walls enclose upon the children and launch them off into an unknown location.   
  
Strange Encounter  
  
Both Leala and Freeman fall out of the sky and hit the ground with a loud thud. Freeman shakes his head and sits up. The pain causes him to grab his head. Its like the world is ringing.   
  
"Ugh! What's going on?"  
  
Leala has a similar reaction. She slowly manages to rise to her feet.   
  
"Where are we?"  
  
A rustling emits from the nearby bush. Both turn to the noise. As they move forward to explore the noise a white creature emerges from the bushes. Freeman and Leala immediately jump back in shock. They had never seen anything like this. The creature turns and faces them allowing the two to get a better look. Out of the brush another emerges and lines up with the first. The first looks much like a small dog toy. The creature is plush with white feathers. A brown streak runs along the back of its body. At the very end of it's back the brown streak fades into a yellow tail. The creature doesn't seem to have a nose, just two large gray eyes. The second looks much like a small dog. Instead of ears two long red and black ribbons sway behind it. Its fur blends mostly of red and brown. Its brown gaze directly at Freeman.   
  
Freeman looks back with confusion, "What are those?"  
  
Freeman approaches a few steps closer, "They don't look too dangerous."  
"They are kinda cute. Look at that white one."   
"How do things like that survive out here? White and brownish-red aren't exactly the colors to blend into the background here. And they don't look like they are too strong."  
  
The reddish brown creature cringes his eyebrows and then speaks., "We are all going to have a survival problem if we don't get out of here."  
  
Upon this outburst Freeman and Leala jump back several feet. Freeman looks at the creature in bewilderment.   
  
"It talked!"  
"And who you calling weak?"  
"I can't believe you talked!"  
Both Freeman and Leala stand with an awestruck gaze. The white creature becomes agitated and it to speaks up.   
"Arg! Listen we don't have time for this!"  
A slight breeze begins to blow through the surrounding trees. A buzzing sound becomes evident in the distance. Slowly the sound gets louder. Leala looks up into the trees noticing the sudden upheaval.   
"What is that?"  
  
The white creature walks behind Leala pushing her forward to the bushes.   
"A Kuwagamon is headed this way and he is hunting Digidestined. We don't have time come on follow us. Hurry!"  
The reddish brown creature follows suit. The sound soon becomes a roar of wind. Freeman looks up and sees a menacing Kuwagamon as he flies over head. Kuwagamon looks down and almost frowns upon Freeman with his hideous bug like face. The roar of his wings is the only sound that fills the air. As the Kuwagamon rises in the air the trees and air are tossed about. The creature yells out to Freeman in desperation.  
  
"Hurry up! He will have us in the next pass!"  
  
The two walk through some nearby bushes. Freeman puts his hands forward to move branches aside. But to his surprise his hands flow straight through the bushes.   
"Hey these aren't bushes at all."  
"You have a keen ability to state the obvious."  
On the other side of the illusion a large cylindrical room waits. A small hole in the wall leads into a black abyss. Freeman looks around feeling very claustrophobic. He can still hear the roar of the Kuwagamon. The plain blank blue of the room gives him no comfort. The brown creature jumps in front of Freeman's face interrupting his frightened gaze.   
"Still with me?"   
"Yea my head still hurts from the fall"  
"No time for recovery, jump in."  
The creature points to the hole in the wall. As Freeman looks at the hole his eyes narrow in fear.   
"In there? Are you nuts?"  
The small hole seems to lead to an endless space.   
"That would be a suicide drop"  
The Creature begins to lose patience once again.   
"Would you hurry up?"  
"No way"  
"Fine then. Bubble blow!"   
The creature blows bubbles all over the ground creating a fine slick. He positions himself behind Freeman quickly and give him a shove. The lowered friction causes Freeman to glide slowly to the hole. Freeman attempts to run or move but he only manages to slip on the bubbles and accelerate his movement. The Creature jumps up onto his arms and tries to guide him in.   
  
"Whoa whoa! Watch it! Ahhhhh!"  
Both Leala and the white creature shake their heads in dismay. The creature looks up to Leala.  
"Do I have to go through all that."  
"I certainly hope not."  
"Let's go"  
Leala picks up the white creature in her arms and then steps into the black abyss. The surrounding blackness slowly turns to multicolored swirling light. The abyss holds a striking resemblance to the phenomena that Leala and Freeman were entrapped in prior. In a zero gravity state the four spin in opposite directions. Freeman looks around wildly and attempting to find a direction in which to face. The awkward position of the others to himself hinders his efforts.   
  
"This is nuts!", Freeman yells out in frustration,  
Suddenly the colors shift and begin to move in the opposite direction. Things around the group start to speed up. Freeman becomes very uneasy as he begins to accelerate. Once again they are on a roller coaster headed into infinity.  
"Not againnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!" Freeman yells as they plummet into infinity.   
  
As Freeman reaches full acceleration he realizes his body is rotating on some odd axis. He can barely follow the direction they are heading. He can see the others. Everyone seems to be rotating different way. Leala spun around perfectly. It was like she was spinning around for fun in some field. Freeman almost expected her to put her arms out and start laughing. Both the creatures were tumbling head first, one clockwise, one counterclockwise. Freeman maintained a spin that seemed to change angles like a top just as it begins to finish its rotations.   
  
In the distance a small white light appears before them. Freeman wants to point it out but he can barely force air out of his lungs to breathe. The light seems miles away, almost a dream. Freeman wanted it to end. His head reeled with confusion and pain. One minute he was headed home, now it seemed he would be stuck in this vortex of despair forever.   
He looks to Leala as she spins forward ahead of him. She seemed to calm and composed. How could she not be as scared as he was? Suddenly Leala's spin beings to slow. Freeman realizes that his spin too is coming to an end. Things are drastically slowing down. Compared to the heighten state of spinning everything moves like a snail. Breathing seems to take an eternity between breaths.   
" I knew it, a trap, I knew it all along" Freeman thinks to himself in between breaths. As he looks up he realizes the light is much closer. It now rockets at them with extreme speed. The speed seems even more ludicrous compared to the current state of slow motion. Freeman begins to form pictures in his head of his body getting smashed against the wall of light. He is almost sure it will be painful.   
  
As the light passes over him it is strangely gentle. The speed of the light and his own slowly become parallel. Freeman looks around and realizes that things are now back to normal and he is hanging in the air. With another thud he hits the ground. Dazed he tries to stand but falls to his knees. He looks up to see a large machine like creature with a grizzly face.   
"Hello I good sir my designation is Dromamon" the thing says to him with a bow.   
"More like Dramamine........."  
The world slowly becomes faded. He can hear the thing speaking, but the words make no sense. He looks to Leala once again. She too says something indecipherable. The world blackens around him and he feels the cold hard floor on his face.   
  
The Citadel  
  
Freeman wakes up and takes a long look around the room. He checks his head and finds the pounding has stopped. Leala rests peaceful across from him on a bed perfect for her size. Small strands of her brown hair feel across her face as she moved from right to left in the bed. Freeman sits up and looks down. In his grip, a blanket greets him. Slowly he realizes he is also on a bed.  
His memory slowly seeps back to him. Everything since the cabin was a blur. This couldn't be real. . With odd images floating through his head he shuns the memories and decides to distract himself. Even though he blanket is warm and inviting, curiosity drives him to get up and take a look around. The floor offers up icy daggers to his feet. The ambient temperature is extremely cold.   
To a stand on right a stack of cloths wait. He looks down and notices that he is wearing odd blue pajamas. Freeman not being a fan of pajamas slips on his cloths and then takes a closer look at things around him. On the wall above Leala is a picture of a large snowy owl. The picture is rough and sketchy, but he can tell it's definitely an owl. The color of the painting amazing, it dominates the shapes.   
Freeman looks down the room and notices several other beds, ten total including his. He looks at various paintings on the wall hanging above each bed. At the far end there is a large gray wolf and what looks like a dinosaur across from it. On the left wall along side the gray wolf several other painting hang above the heads of the beds. To the right of the wolf on the far side of the room a painting of a cactus, a proud looking walrus, Leala's white owl and a luminous white cat grace the wall. Each in vivid color they almost seem life like.  
To the left of the Dinosaur, a large red bird menaces the wall. Freeman takes an extra second to look at the red bird. His Mother told him bedtime stories about a red bird called the phoenix, about how it could die and come back to life. Next to the red bird sits an odd brown beetle on top of a book. With a confused sound he looked at the picture more closely. The book almost looked like it says "Life" on it, but the colors are too luminous to be sure. Freeman rubs his eyes and moves on.  
He then comes to the top of his bed. A red fox looks at him from a snowy field. A few dead trees line the edges but the beauty of this picture inspires Freeman. None of the other pictures had such detail. With a tugging glance Freeman looks next to his bed. Something that looks like a teal stop watch sits on a table. He looks at it curiously and the memory of the prior events comes flooding back. Slowly, images piece together. He picks it up and notices a clip on the back of it. His fingers explore the contours. The device knew him. Maybe he knew it, but it felt like the other way around. He remembered picking it up now. He didn't really examine it all that closely. Almost instinctually he clips it on his blue jeans.  
  
As he puts on the device he notices a small bed next to his. Above the small bed, a barren nail haunts the wall. It is as if a picture that had once been there was quickly whisked away. The dust on the wall reveals something was definitely there at some point in time.   
A light flickering outside the hall catches Freeman's attention. He pauses and looks at Leala and decides not to wake her. Slowly Freeman goes out into the hall as if he were sneaking around. He can hear echoing voices coming from a room down at the end of the hall. Across from his room there is a door that says "Simulator" in big red letters. He looks at it with confusion.   
  
Freeman ignores the odd room and starts toward the room with the voices. Every step seems to reverberate down the hallway. As he gets closer the talking gets steadily more interpretable. He can pick out the voices of Dromamon and the two creatures he encountered earlier.   
  
"I can't believe I'm going to be stuck with that yahoo." The brown creature lamented  
"Yahoo? Stuck with? What is he talking about?"   
"Quit complaining Zerdamon your lucky we were even chosen for this."   
" So Zerdamon that's your name. I wonder what that other one means by chosen."  
"Lucky? You call this luck? Stupid prophesies. I wish the ancient Canamon had just stayed out of the whole   
business. If you ask me someone just stole our eggs from Primary Village."   
"Like you have a right to complain? There aren't even Malamon villages anymore."  
  
"How did these two arrive earlier in our timeline earlier than the others Dromamon?"  
"My theory is they hit a branch in the data stream that hastily realigned them here. In other words they took a   
shortcut."   
"Are the others through yet?"  
"There is the data compilation of them on the screen now sir. They should reintegrate within a few minutes. They will land near our emergency phone lines. I will send out a general distress call. If they pick up we will be able to route them instantly here."  
  
Out of the corner a new voice speaks up, " I will go send the digimon to where they are projected to land." Freeman is taken back by this voice. He didn't hear anyone else in the room. Who was this now? Another monster? Freeman peaks further around the corner of the door to take a look. He sees a girl with brown hair and red eyes. Around her neck is a pink scarf and her yellow shirt creates bright contrast to the cold walls behind her. Zerdamon sniffs the air. Freeman quickly pulls back to his hiding place behind the door.   
  
" I think someone is up"  
Dromamon turns the corner and almost runs into Freeman. Freeman stares directly into the face of Dromamon. He shutters a moment with good reason.   
Dromamon seems to be a hodgepodge of odd creatures. His left arm is completely metallic except one patch of fur across the top of the forearm. The fingers on his left hand look dangerously sharp and dexterous. A large metal tube runs from his neck across his chest to his right hip. It separates thick black fur from hard metal steel. His right arm consists of wires from the top of his neck to his elbow. From there on there seems to be human flesh. His face has one deep set brown eye almost like a cats while the other is red and robot like. A scar runs from the top of his right temple to his chin. The scar separates the human part of his face from the part that looks much like a grizzly bear.   
Freeman lets out a surprised yell and runs. Zerdamon and the other run after him while Dromamon remains standing in his current location. Zerdamon yells out to Freeman trying to get him to slow down, "Wait stop!"   
  
As Freeman reaches the room where he slept he makes a sharp right and bursts through the Simulator door. Through the door a huge metal door begins to descend. Freeman jumps underneath followed by Zerdamon. The large metal door halts the rest as it slams to the ground. Freeman slows down as he realizes the room is completely empty and dark. A beam of light shines down directly on top of him and shines toward Zerdamon as he runs to catch up. A computer voice emanates from the darkness around them, "Initializing rookie training program. Creating virus type Digimon." The voice echo's for a moment an image begins to take shape in from of Freeman. It looks like a small tree with eyes. Slowly the image solidifies. The computer voice once again echo's out, "Download complete. Woodmon loaded. Begin training program one" "What in the world?", Freeman exclaims. The Woodmon suddenly jumps to life. Freeman falls back in surprise. Freeman attempts to move away but the Woodmon charges straight for him, limbs flailing. The Woodmon leaps in the air at Freeman. Freeman closes his eyes and covers his head knowing he has no defense. At the last moment before the strike, Zerdamon knocks Woodmon aside. Both tumble to the ground and Woodmon jumps back on his feet. He charges Zerdamon as he begins to stand.   
"Twig tap!" Woodmon yells out. As the Woodmon strikes Zerdamon, a strange glow moves along Zerdamon's body. Woodmon starts to drain off Zerdamon's strength. Zerdamon lets off a slow yell. Freeman runs to tackle the   
Woodmon who in turn then again turns to attack Freeman. Woodmon lands a blow that slowly begins to weaken Freeman. Zerdamon stands up and yells out a defiant "No!"   
A strange light surrounds Zerdamon. Zerdamon yells out in triumph "Zerdamon……Digevolve to!……Canamon!"  
Zerdamon suddenly transfigured into a small red fox like creature that has a flowing white mane surround his neck and head dissipating down his back. Canamon turned and bore his teeth at the Woodmon.   
"Red Flash! Hah!"  
A sudden red burst of energy flows out of Canamon and strikes Woodmon splitting him into ashes.   
  
Stunned Freeman's jaw drops and he quietly says, "……Awesome."  
  
  



	2. Problems arise

1.1.1 Problems Arise  
  
Canamon stood triumphant in the place of his fallen foe. Freeman stumbled to his feet trying to gain his composure. Freeman had watched action movies in the past, but he never experienced action up close. On a TV screen or in the movie theater, there is distance, but this was close, this was real. Freeman wiped some blood that seeped out of deep scratches on his arm. He examined the crimson on his fingertips.  
  
Another thought came to mind. Canamon, he must have been injured too. Or did that odd transformation make him impervious to pain?  
  
Freeman gazed at Canamon.  
  
"You okay?" He asked.  
  
"Yea I'm fine." Canamon responded swiftly. "You really shouldn't run off like that, makes things tougher on both of us."  
  
"That was incredible. What happened to you?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The light and the body change, what was that?"  
  
"Oh, I digevolved." Canamon said in an offhand manner.  
  
"Oh yea of course…." Freeman said with a befuddled look.  
  
"Computer" Canamon said aloud. A small beep echoed in response. "Open the doors." He commanded.  
  
The doors opened revealing the girl and the White creature waiting impatiently. A girl… Shocking. Everything about this place seemed foreign to Freeman. And yet here was a human girl. A perfectly ordinary human girl. Somehow this terrified and comforted Freeman all at once. He wasn't alone with Amy in this odd place, but it was apparent he was far from home.  
  
The girl looked familiar to Freeman but he couldn't figure out why. It was something about her face or her eyes. Little did Freeman know that the girl knew exactly who he was.  
  
"You two all right?" the girl asked.  
  
"Um, yea." Freeman responded, while examining her face further.  
  
"Hey Canamon! Way to go you Digevolved!" the White Creature applauded.  
  
"You're…. Normal" Freeman commented to the girl.  
  
"Oh you mean not a digimon. Yea Hi I'm Kari."  
  
"How did you get---"  
  
"Hey everyone what's going on?" Amy yawned out interrupting Freeman.  
  
Amy rubbed her eyes as she walked slowly forward. She had finally found the willpower to leave the warm comfort of the blanket.  
  
"Morning Amy!" the white creature said excitedly running to her.  
  
"Morning Talomon." Amy replied while scooping Talomon up in her arms.  
  
"You know that thing?" Freeman asked.  
  
"Stop being rude." Amy said sharply. "After you passed out we spent the night chatting."  
  
Freeman felt very threatened. A girl, younger than he was, managed to be unfazed by this entire ordeal while he was still grasping to define its reality.  
  
"It was a bumpy ride, ok?" Freeman said defensively. "Maybe I'm dehydrated." Freeman said as he felt his forehead to check his temperature.  
  
Attempting to write-off the experience somehow made it all seem less traumatic.  
  
"I don't believe I have met you though." Amy said to Kari.  
  
Kari turned her head sideways and responded with a smile. "Hi I'm Kari Kamiya. Nice to meet you."  
  
Kari turned to Freeman. "And don't worry no viral bits of data have gotten into you."  
  
"Viral what?" Freeman asked. " Never mind. Where are we?"  
  
"Welcome to the Digital world. This place is filled with Digimon. You have already met Canamon and Talomon."  
  
"This is a little much to take." Freeman admitted.  
  
"Follow me to main computer room." Kari offered. "Maybe that will explain more."  
  
The offer was reasonable enough. Freeman and Amy followed Kari  
  
Freeman took the opportunity to question Amy.  
  
" What the heck is going on?" he whispered.  
  
"Just be patient and find out." She said smirking.  
  
"Thanks Amy, lots of help." Freeman thought to himself. Freeman was slightly angry at Amy's ability to adjust to the Digital world so quickly. Perhaps jealous…  
  
Everyone entered the main room where the man in a white overcoat stood. He looked around forty to fifty years old. The hair around his ears was starting to turn white, but his head was still covered in thick jet-black curls. His face seemed youthful for a man of his apparent age. Only crows feet from excessive smiling marked the sides of his eyes. But his eyes seemed very sad.  
  
The white coat was most distinguishable. It reminded Freeman of something that a spy or detective would wear. The tips of the coat jetted up around his ears blended with the white hair. Behind the coat he wore an outfit that looked fit for a formal dinner. His blueberry shirt created a deep contrast to his white coat and his black pants. A purple tie graced the shirt creating a splash of variety.  
  
"Welcome to the main computer room of the citadel, here we monitor light and dark sides of the Digiworld."  
  
Amy stared at the man intently, remembering something familiar about him.  
  
"You're the owner of that Candy shop, the one over by Highton View Terrace! I used to love to get candy with Mom and Dad at your shop." She blurted out.  
  
"Oh yea! I remember that place now." Freeman said instantly remembering the owner.  
  
"What was the name of that shop again?"  
  
"Miotstop. And I am Mr. Miotabi."  
  
When Amy was younger she would scour the streets for loose change. Each cent she found she put into a small clear plastic piggy bank in the shape of a heart. Once the bank was full she would take her little brother to the Miot Stop where she would buy all sorts of candy.  
  
Since at the time her family was impoverished it was a unique time for her. A special moment all her own. She could buy her brother to all sorts of candy as if she was wealthy. She could purchase whatever caught her whim. Moreover it was an escape. It reminded her she was a regular little girl.  
  
Mr. Miotabi was almost like a secondary father. He would greet her every time she entered with a smile. Sometimes he would give her free candy that the shop had just stocked to make sure it was of the best quality.  
  
"How did you get here Mr. Miotabi." Amy asked.  
  
"I have been in the digital world for quite sometime." He said as though it were an answer.  
  
"Do you know how we got here?" Freeman asked.  
  
Although Amy completely trusted Mr. Miotabi, Freeman still had his suspicions.  
  
"What was a candy man doing at a massive computer console in the digital world?" Freeman wondered.  
  
"I need you two to do something for me." Mr. Miotabi said rapidly changing the subject.  
  
"What's that?" Amy asked.  
  
  
  
"We lost a digivice awhile ago that is going to be very important."  
  
"Going to be?" Freeman asked.  
  
"I'm hoping the two of you can find it." Mr. Miotabi continued.  
  
"Why us?", Freeman asked.  
  
"And What's a digivice?" Amy added.  
  
"See that device attached to your jeans?"  
  
It seemed the Mr. Miotabi was avoiding Freeman's questions all together. Mr. Miotabi attempted to disguise this fact with constant eye contact and hand gestures. He was obviously hiding something.  
  
"You mean this?" Amy asked as she pulled out the device from her back pocket.  
  
"Yes, they are very important. Somehow they amplify the inherent link between the light in the possessor and the Digimon that possessor is partnered with."  
  
"Digidestined? Link? Light?" Freeman asked in a stream. Too many questions were shooting through his head and none of them were being answered. Would he get to go home? Why was he here?  
  
"Well it links both the light and the dark. Light is like…I don't have time to explain it to you now but just think of it as a way to keep your Digimon safe and strong."  
  
"This all sounds like some sort of crazy video game."  
  
"You have no idea…" Mr. Miotabi said with a sigh. "I suggest you get going though. After this I need you two to deliver something for me. Dromamon get me a general location of the lost digivice and patch it to the trans- locator room."  
  
"What are we your bondservants all of a sudden?" Freeman said defensively. "Where do you get off ordering us around? We just met."  
  
Mr. Miotabi shook his head in disappointment.  
  
"Just do it, I can't have you questioning me this early off." Mr. Miotabi replied in a calm voice.  
  
The tone was enough to keep Freeman from questioning further.  
  
"Kari will take you two where you need to go." Mr. Miotabi announced.  
  
"What does he mean by early off?" Freeman thought to himself.  
  
The prospect of early disturbed Freeman. He wanted this all to be over with quickly. This place was too foreign, too dangerous.  
  
A little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he often fantasized about going on adventures like these. So many times he thought he would be a brave adventurer out to challenge the unknown. Yet here he was sniveling to himself like a little coward. Freeman regretted ever having such thoughts.  
  
Kari led him out the door and down the hall, presumably to the Trans- locator room.  
  
Once Freeman exited Mr. Miotabi resumed pressing business.  
  
"Have the others arrived yet?" Mr. Miotabi asked.  
  
"Yes it appears they have landed on File Island."  
  
"File Island? What are they doing way over there? Did their Digimon get there?"  
  
"Their Digimon have been waiting at that spot for quite sometime."  
  
An expression of utter confusion overtook the face of Mr. Miotabi. He had obviously planned something, the planned something that was melting before him this very moment.  
  
Red lights began to flash on the screen. Mr. Miotabi dashed for the computer.  
  
  
  
"Proximity alarm! A Kuwagamon is headed straight for them! It seems Shellmon is trailing close behind!"  
  
"What? That's impossible!" Mr. Miotabi yelled. "How do the Dark Lords keep tracing their locations so quickly? They must have the ID tracers."  
  
Mr. Miotabi pounded furiously into the computer.  
  
"Scramble it quickly!" Mr. Miotabi commanded.  
  
A map appeared on the large screen. Seven multicolored dots flashed in a steady rhythm. The dots steadily began shifting locations rapidly across the map until they disappeared altogether.  
  
"How did the Dark Lords find out?" Mr. Miotabi demanded. The moment of anger subsided quickly. "Can we send help?"  
  
Dromamon sighed in aggravation.  
  
"We could have but we just scrambled their signal. We don't know where they are anymore."  
  
"I guess they are on their own for now. Start dialing up the emergency phone lines. Maybe they will get to the phone booths and respond."  
  
A steady humming began.  
  
"Well… If they are really the Digidestined they will be fine." Mr. Miotabi said trying to comfort himself.  
  
  
  
Canamon, Talomon, Freeman and Amy follow Kari to an odd looking room full of strange symbols. Amy brushed her hand over a few of the strange symbols. They caved inwardly into the wall. She stepped back and looked up to grasp the sheer height of the room. The symbols rose above her farther than she could see.  
  
  
  
"What is this place Kari?" Amy asked.  
  
"This is the trans-locator room, it is going to take you to where you need to go."  
  
Freeman began to dawn on a face of worry. He remembered his last two trips vividly. "Is it going to de-molecularize us or something?" He asked.  
  
"No the room changes its environment to match the position you want to go to. It doesn't change you at all."  
  
"It does what? How?"  
  
"He asks too many questions" Canamon mumbled to himself aloud as he gave a glare of disapproval. Canamon's impatience visibly grew by the moment.  
  
"How are we supposed to find this Digivice anyhow?" Amy asked.  
  
"Here let me borrow yours for a second." Kari said motioning to Amy.  
  
Amy handed the Digivice to Kari. Kari examined it a second and then threw it full force down the hall. The scraping of the device to the floor echoed down the hallway.  
  
"Hey we need that!" Talomon yelled in protest.  
  
Talomon bounced off to retrieve the digivice. Odd sounds started emanating from Freeman's pocket. He reached for it and pulled out his digivice to notice a small screen with a purple dot flashing  
  
"Oh I get it. It's like radar." Freeman said with a moment of enlightenment.  
  
The dot steadily approached as Talomon drew closer with the device bobbing on her head.  
  
Talomon handed the Digivice to Leala as Freeman began to show Talomon his discovery in triumph. As a result Canamon became even more impatient.  
  
Holding his emotion in he simply stated, "Well let's get a move on." In a loud tone.  
  
"Okay let me get out and I will make sure the process starts." Kari responded.  
  
"You're not coming with us?" Freeman asked.  
  
Before he could even finish his sentence Kari had stepped out the door. A low hum emitted from around them.  
  
  
  
Curiosity overwhelmed panic and Freeman sat back and watched a marvelous sight. The walls around them began to shift and change shape until the room finally transformed into a lush green forest. A cool breeze moved the trees creating a slight chill in the air.  
  
"Why couldn't we be looking for it on a nice sunny beach?" Talomon moaned.  
  
Canamon looked to Freeman for direction. If Freeman didn't hurry up he was going to take command himself.  
  
"Well? Which way?" Canamon demanded.  
  
Freeman looked down at his Digivice and honed in upon the red flash.  
  
"That way." 


End file.
